It does seem there are two schools of thought, forgetting about the 5k example but consider a marathon. Most of what you read these days will state you should drink x ounces of water per y minutes or miles, relating to temperature, body weight, intensity, whatever. This school states you should drink water/gatorade at a certain frequency; if you wait till you're thirsty it's too late to counteract the effects of insufficient hydration.

The other school I have been seeing more of recently is exactly "drink when you're thirsty".

 

For anyone who's still following this thread - comments?

During marathon training, I drank as less as possible.  During my actual events however, I took water from every aid station either to dump over my head, or to drink.  Sometimes I asked for two cups so I could dump and drink.

We push ourselves to the limit and beyond when training, that serves one well on race day regardless of a persons position on hydration.

Water/aid stations for 5K and 10K races are reasonable accomodations for those who are less than elite (myself included). From a personal perspective I've done 2 mile Army Physical Fitness Test runs where due to enviromental conditions I fallen out and needed to retest. An APFT at 3PM on a late spring, early summer day can be brutal. the APFT at 6 AM can be a breeze.

 

Still everyones' physical needs are different and the sensation of a parched mouth can make even the strongest runner feel less than prepared.

While March is usually associated with comfortable temperatures it can also bring lower humidity levels which too can impact performance.

 

Then bring in the spread of ages across the gender lines. The 55 year old daily jogger, may be making a harder effort on a 5K than she or he does the rest of the time. She/He isn't as well adapted to the stress and may need the water both for cooling as well as thirst. Yes, a cupful of water tossed over the gourd, even on what to some may be a cool day can make some of us feel better and push for a better personal effort.

 

For myself, under what might be mild conditions for some, I'll still take in water on a 5K, I have been compromised from previous heat injuries and other health events related to my previous occupations. Yes, I'm the runner who looks like he took a shower while on the course while you haven't broken a sweat.

 

In my opinion, for the family orientated runs and races. water on the 5K course is probably a neccesity. For any elite series of events, not so much but there will usually be a hydration station at the end for those runners.

 

As for our perceptions of the need? It boils down to what is the need for ourselves vs. the need for others. a 20 to 25 year old may not have the need. the 10 to 15 year old may have some need and the 35 year olds and higher may have a greater need. And as implied water can be used for other things besides drinking, irrigating the road rash of the runner that trips even.

You seem to focus a lot on age. As a 66 year old who has been running for 45 years and prevously ran in HS, I have not found that to be the case. The main factors I've seen that determine hydration needs are fitness and acclimation to heat.

 

We push ourselves to the limit and beyond when training, that serves one well on race day regardless of a persons position on hydration.

How do you push yourself, "to the limit and beyond?"  Is that like "giving 110%?"

 

The recent research is all pointing in the direction of "drink to thirst."  Amazingly enough, human beings managed to run and survive for quite some time before the word "hydration" was even invented.  Wonder how they knew how to drink?  You go 8-10 hours every day without drinking and don't die so mild dehydration is something your body can easily cope with.

+1000000

I would admit, that if there were 5k runs offering a beer, I would stop .

 

LTH- I agree with the drink when thirsty. So why not have water there if people are thirsty???

 

Oh snap!

LTH may be completely correct. As in fact I was mainly looking for opinions on what works best for people, technically everyone is correct. (Oh what a diplomat I am.) However I have also read on other topics (e.g. Paleo Diet) that this kind of evolutionary argument is not necessarily  definitive. Humans managed to run & survive for quite some time before interval training and high-tech running shoes were invented, but over time they discovered things that improved their ability to run long distances.

And Goorun - no need for a beer stop, you can just keep the beer in the Camelbak you wear for your 5k's.

In my first ever 5K as was happy to see the water table.  I was a BEGINNER and in the midst of dramatic weight loss and took water at every opportunity.  Now, I recently did a 10 mile run without water.  As long as they aren't in the way of those that don't want water, have at it....remember where you came from as others are there now.

A semi-random thought - I can remember one of my HS coaches telling me NOT to drink because it would give me stomach cramps.

Exactly what happens to me now.

Why the need to make everything complicated always, when it just wants to be simple?

Because then we'd have nothing to do on the interwebz.

Wcrunner2, funny how conventional wisdom changes back & forth on this kind of thing. (Also don't forget to wait an hour after you eat to go swimming.) I am reminded of the famous Bear Bryant training camp when he was at Texas A&M, 4 hour practices in 100 degree heat with zero water, presumably to "build toughness". That was possibly a bit extreme.